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Mary Wilder Tileston
Mary Wilder Tileston was born on August 20, 1843, in Salem, Massachusetts, to Caleb Foote, owner and editor of the Salem Gazette, and Mary Wilder White Foote. Raised in a family with strong intellectual and religious ties—her brother Henry Wilder Foote became a Harvard-educated minister, and her brother Arthur Foote a noted composer—she attended private schools in Salem. On September 25, 1865, she married John Boies Tileston, a publisher’s son, and they had seven children: Mary, Margaret, Roger, Amelia, Wilder, Edith, and Eleanor. The family lived in Concord, Massachusetts, on a 200-acre farm from around 1874 to 1882, then moved to Salem and later Brookline, Massachusetts, where she died on July 3, 1934. Tileston’s career was centered on her literary contributions rather than preaching. Her most notable work, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, a collection of prose, verse, and scripture for daily reading, sold over 250,000 copies by 1910 and was highly regarded. She compiled other devotionals, including Prayers Ancient and Modern (1897) and children’s works like The Child’s Harvest of Verse (1910), reflecting her love for spiritual literature. While not a preacher by occupation, her anthologies served a preaching-like function, offering spiritual guidance to readers. Her legacy lies in these writings, which continue to inspire, rather than in a formal ministerial role.
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Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the comforting assurance that the Lord hears our cries and is always present to answer us. She emphasizes that even a simple cry from the heart is enough for God to be gracious and attentive to our needs. Tileston reminds us that God's faithfulness extends beyond just answering prayers; it reveals His loving nature towards us. She encourages believers to trust that God will never give us more than we can handle and that He is always near, ready to deliver us from our troubles.
The Lord Shall Answer
Then shall thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. ISAIAH 58:9 EVER quickly Thou dost hear Thy children's feeble cry, And dost keep them everywhere Beneath Thy watchful eye; And 'midst the worlds that lean on Thee Thou hast faithful thoughts of me. ANONYMOUS "HE will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry." That has comforted me often, more than any promise of answer; it includes answers, and a great deal more besides; it tells us what He is towards us, and that is more than what He will do. And the "cry" is not long, connected, thoughtful prayers, a cry is just an unworded dart upwards of the heart, and at that "voice" He will be very gracious. What a smile there is in these words! F. R. HAVERGAL He that hath not tempted you hitherto above your strength will continue so to the end. If, for a time, He hide His face from you, yet He doth it but for a moment, to make you the more heartily to cry to Him; and surely He will hear you, not only when you are in crying, but also whilst you are in thinking how to cry. He is with you in trouble, and will indeed deliver you. JOHN BRADFORD
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Mary Wilder Tileston was born on August 20, 1843, in Salem, Massachusetts, to Caleb Foote, owner and editor of the Salem Gazette, and Mary Wilder White Foote. Raised in a family with strong intellectual and religious ties—her brother Henry Wilder Foote became a Harvard-educated minister, and her brother Arthur Foote a noted composer—she attended private schools in Salem. On September 25, 1865, she married John Boies Tileston, a publisher’s son, and they had seven children: Mary, Margaret, Roger, Amelia, Wilder, Edith, and Eleanor. The family lived in Concord, Massachusetts, on a 200-acre farm from around 1874 to 1882, then moved to Salem and later Brookline, Massachusetts, where she died on July 3, 1934. Tileston’s career was centered on her literary contributions rather than preaching. Her most notable work, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, a collection of prose, verse, and scripture for daily reading, sold over 250,000 copies by 1910 and was highly regarded. She compiled other devotionals, including Prayers Ancient and Modern (1897) and children’s works like The Child’s Harvest of Verse (1910), reflecting her love for spiritual literature. While not a preacher by occupation, her anthologies served a preaching-like function, offering spiritual guidance to readers. Her legacy lies in these writings, which continue to inspire, rather than in a formal ministerial role.